Southern California -- this just in

Jackson tickets issued and fans warned not to sell them

July 5, 2009 | 7:57
pm

The 8,550 Michael Jackson fans who were chosen randomly to receive two tickets to the pop singer's memorial service on Tuesday have been notified, and some of them -- to the disappointment of the Jackson family -- already are trying to sell the tickets online.

Despite widespread rumors to the contrary, the e-mail notification process in fact took place today, and those who were selected have already received information on how to print vouchers that they must bring to Dodger Stadium on Monday to pick up the tickets and wristbands needed for entry to the service at Staples Center. About 1.9 million registered for the chance to attend the King of Pop's service, but organizers whittled that number to 1.6 million, eliminating duplicate entries and some generated by automatic dialers, said AEG spokesman Michael Roth. (AEG owns Staples Center and was producing Jackson's comeback concerts.)

This afternoon, several apparent ticket holders posted intentions to sell the tickets on EBay, but Roth warned that the security system in place will prevent anyone from doing so. In addition to the vouchers received via a special code, ticket holders will have to show a valid driver's license, and those whose IDs do not match the registration information will be eliminated as guests.

In addition, a lockable wristband will be placed on the ticket holder on Monday and if that band is altered or damaged in any way on Tuesday morning, that person will not be allowed inside the memorial, Roth said. Every attendee is being given a second ticket and wristband for a guest. Some attendees will watch the service at a nearby simulcast at Nokia Theatre, but the venues will be randomly selected when they arrive Tuesday.

"It is true that anyone who has a wristband and receives tickets can invite anyone they want with the second ticket," Roth said. "So we are hopeful that they have these vouchers because they are a fan and it’s meaningful to them and they would also invite someone who it would also be very meaningful to them."

Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine said he believed most of the EBay sellers were fake, but admonished those who are trying to take advantage of a family tragedy for financial gain.

"This is a memorial," Sunshine said. "Words can’t describe how horrifying it is that people are ostensibly trying to do that. It’s beneath contempt."